Cookies

white chocolate & cranberry biscuits

December 12, 2011

I feel like I blinked and suddenly Christmas is in matter of moments. I can’t tell you how in the mood for it I am this year though.

We’ve been gone for the holidays the last three years in a row (Nicaragua, Vancouver, and Thailand. I know, jet-setters.) and I am just ready to be at home, cosying up and getting in the spirit.

We bought our tree the first weekend in December and I am officially obsessed. I’ve been shopping for gifts, writing cards, listening to Christmas tunes, day dreaming about mulled wine and sausage rolls…. I just can’t stop.

So, yes, I am unabashedly excited about Christmas. Are you?

These cookies seem especially festive to me. I think it’s the red and white combo that does it. They’re another Ottolenghi creation – the man never ceases to hit the nail squarely on the head.

This recipe is from Ottolenghi: The Cookbook and yes, before there is an outbreak of confusion, biscuits are what we Brits call cookies. Usually I opt for the word “cookie” but this is Ottolenghi’s recipe and residing in the U.K. he goes with biscuits. So there.

They’re thin, crispy and buttery beyond belief. Dan inhaled five of them within minutes of me bringing them out of the oven. So…yeah. I’m more of a soft, fluffy cookie girl but these really hit the spot. Chewy cranberries and oats and melty oh-so-sweet white chocolate chips. Your friends would probably keep you a little closer if you brought a batch of these over.

White Chocolate and Cranberry Biscuits
from Ottolenghi: The Cookbook

British measurements are listed first with American adaptations second. If you don’t own a measuring scale I highly recommend buying a cheap digital one so that you can weigh ingredients accurately for baking. Most have the option for grams and ounces. Here’s a reasonably priced option. Also, the argument for using a scale :)

Ingredients

  •  90g plain flour/ 3.7 oz all purpose flour
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda/ baking soda
  • 100g/ 3.52 oz unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla essence
  • 110g/ 3.8 oz soft brown sugar
  • 25g/ 2 tbsp caster sugar
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 80g/ 2.82 oz whole rolled oats (not the instant kind)
  • 60g/ 2.1 oz white chocolate, chopped into chocolate chip sized pieces (or just use white chocolate chips)
  • 75g/ 2.64 oz dried cranberries

Directions

  1. Preheat your oven to 170C/350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat.
  2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl add the butter, vanilla, and sugars and beat with a wooden spoon until combined. Gradually add the egg, combining thoroughly after each addition.
  4. Add the flour mixture and the oats, then the chocolate and cranberries. Mix to combine but be careful not to over-mix once the ingredients are blended together.
  5. Chill the mixture in the fridge for about 15-30 minutes to help you shape the biscuits. Scoop up a bit of the mixture and shape it into a ball somewhere between the size of an olive and a walnut. Press the balls lightly onto the baking tray. Be sure to space them a good distance apart as they’ll spread quite a bit during baking.
  6. Place in the oven and bake for about 10 minutes, until they’re brown in colour. Remove from the oven and cool on trays before serving.

seasonal sweets

November 11, 2011

The time is near, friends. Thanksgiving is less than two weeks away! Can you believe it? I had to wear my “proper winter coat” for the first time yesterday and there were snow flakes fluttering their suggestive, sneaky selves at me. I sulked about it all morning.

I’m missing out on holiday parties and potlucks this year since Dan and I will be in the U.K. visiting family and friends (insert obnoxious excitement levels here). Don’t worry, this only means I’ll go completely overboard when I’m home for the December holidays (for the first time in three years!).

In case YOU happen to have some need for a sweet recipe to bring along to a potluck or party to share, here are some of my favourites for this time of year.

White Chocolate Spiced Cupcakes

Lemon Buttermilk Cookies

Pumpkin Bread

Spiced Mexican Wedding Cookies

Butternut Squash Bread

Pumpkin-Ginger Molasses Cookies

What are your favourite seasonal sweets? Feel free to include links!

pumpkin ginger molasses cookies

October 21, 2011

What do you do when you have leftover pumpkin? You make these cookies! They’re the loveliest combination of rich molasses-sweet and ginger-spicy. If you wanted to you could substitute wholewheat flour for a more earthy, textural experience – I love wholewheat flour with these sorts of flavours (see: wholewheat pumpkin waffles).

In other news I wanted to thank you all for your emails and messages about my last blog post. What was posted as a quick note received many words of wisdom. More to come soon but for now know that I made the Rustic Black Bean and Sweet Potato Soup I had linked to and it is seriously wonderful.  So, make soup and then…make these cookies.

Have a great weekend!

Pumpkin Ginger Molasses Cookies
adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod

Ingredients

  • ½ cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar, plus more for rolling the cookies
  • ½ cup pumpkin puree
  • ¼ cup molasses
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper.  In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until it’s creamy and smooth. Add the pumpkin puree, molasses, egg, and vanilla extract, and mix until well combined.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, spices, and salt. Add your dry ingredients to wet ingredients gradually and fold until combined. Refrigerate the cookie dough for at least 1 hour.
  3. Place some extra white sugar in a small bowl. Roll tablespoon-sized balls of dough in sugar until well coated and place on baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10–14 minutes, or until cookies look cracked and set at the edges. The cookies will still be soft. Let them cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

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